Bob Corlew reports loaning $1.3 million to his campaign for the Republican nomination in the 6th Congressional District in his initial disclosure report to the Federal Election Commission.

That put him slightly ahead of John Rose in cash on hand as of March 31. Rose had loaned his campaign $500,000 and added another $500,000 loan in the new report for a $1 million self-financing total. Both men are dramatically ahead, at least financially speaking, of state Rep. Judd Matheny of Tullahoma. Corlew contends that Matheny’s campaign is actually in debt.

Corlew and Rose press releases on their campaign finance status are below.

Here are the basic figures from the three leading GOP candidates to succeed U.S. Rep. Diane Black, who is running for governor instead of reelection, as reported to the FEC.

John Rose

Contributions: $137,150 (campaign total $544,285)

Loans: $500,000 (campaign total $1 million)

Spending: $313,880 (campaign total $527,311)

Closing balance: $1,016,973

Bob Corlew

Contributions: $14,382 (first report filed)

Loans: $1.3 million

Spending: $240,211

Closing balance: $1,074,170

Judd Matheny

Contributions: $16,239 (campaign total $216,283)

Loans: $0

Spending: $35,320 (campaign total $200,623)

Closing balance: $15,520

Note: The biggest expenditure listed in Matheny’s disclosure is $13,698 to Beaman Automotive of Nashville for a “campaign vehicle.” The Beaman Automotive Group is headed by Lee Beaman, a generous donor to conservative Republican causes. He made two $2,700 contributions to Matheny’s campaign last year, one of them designated for the general election rather than the primary.

Corlew, in a press release, calculates that Matheny’s campaign is actually $11,479 in debt if such general election donations are deducted from his cash-on-hand balance. Corlew made a similar calculation on Rose and declares that the businessman had “actual cash on hand” of $908,073 if general election donations are subtracted.

Press release from John Rose campaign

COOKEVILLE, TN– Congressional candidate John Rose outraised his next two closest opponents ten to one in the first quarter of 2018. Rose surpassed $1.5 million in campaign funds, a sizeable advantage over other candidates, with an additional $137,000 raised in Q1. A successful fundraising haul paired with strong grassroots support, shows Rose clearly has the momentum
necessary to win.

“I am grateful to have meaningful support for my campaign from within the 6th Congressional District. This is my lifelong home and I am determined to take Tennessee values to Washington, and get Washington out of Tennessee,” Rose said. “I am a small business owner and political outsider ready to fight side by side with President Trump to enact his bold vision for America. We need strong leaders in Washington who know what it means to meet a payroll and balance a budget, not another career politician,” Rose continued.

Fueled by a bevy of supporters from across the district, Rose’s fundraising will grow in the second quarter to help garner even more support for his campaign. As a first-time candidate, Rose is uniquely motivated and qualified to run a sustained, top-notch campaign. The Rose Campaign has $1.01 million on hand. For the next few months leading to the August 2nd primary, the Rose campaign has a strategic plan for connecting with voters through personal outreach, public appearances, television commercials, print media, mail, and more.

Rose is a conservative Republican, small business owner, farmer, staunch supporter of the 2nd amendment, and 100% pro-life. He is an eighth generation Tennessean who has spent his life in the district working to improve and contribute to his community. Rose is seeking the Republican nomination for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, a seat left open by Diane Black who is running for Governor.

Press release from Bob Corlew campaign (partial)

(Note: Here is a handy chart provided by the Corlew campaign.)

Despite no contributions from corporate PACs, Bob Corlew for Congress has $166K more than our closest opponent to spend in the primary campaign. Additionally, Bob Corlew for Congress has the most cash-on-hand of ANY Republican primary candidate in the three open congressional races in Tennessee.

Candidate

Reported cash-on-hand

Actual Cash-on-Hand for Primary*

Contributions from corporate PACs

Bob Corlew

$1,074,170.36

$1,074,170.36

$0

John Rose

$1,016,973.53

$908,073.53

$17,200

Judd Matheny

$15,520.29

-$11,479.70

$13,000

Most Cash-On-Hand in open GOP Primaries

1. $1,074,170 – Bob Corlew (6th District)

2. $1,016,974 – John Rose (6th District)

3. $769,334 – State Senator Green (7th District)

4. $312,229 – State Representative Matlock (2nd District)

5. $238,821 – County Mayor Tim Burchett (2nd District)

6. $116,252 – Jason Emert (2nd District)

7. $15,520 – State Rep. Judd Matheny (6th District)

* “Actual Cash-on-Hand for Primary” is calculated from reported cash-on-hand minus donations earmarked for the general election.

There is no one conservatives should rather see taking Diane Black’s place in the House than Judd Matheny. For many years Judd has been a conservative leader in the General Assembly whose reputation as a strong conservative made its way to Washington well before the election so as to earn him the endorsement of the House Freedom Caucus.

As a contrast, Judd is opposed by two men who, despite being well heeled men many years out of puberty can’t point to a single thing in their accomplished lives that can be mistaken for conservative credentials. John Rose in particular is obviously very well thought of by the Haslam wing of the Republican Party and very early was the obvious choice of the centrists/tepid conservatives to try to stop Judd. Corlew, on the other hand, is a jurist with no political credentials whatsoever.

The Republican Party in Washington talks a good game in opposition but has shown itself to be a feckless embarrassment when trying to govern. Conservatives in the Sixth District, PLEASE, the country and the Republican Party needs you to send a proven conservative like Judd Matheny to Washington to replace Diane Black!

Judd isn’t even a contender and rightfully so. He spent what little money people were willing to give him on a car! The guy is only in the race to milk whatever contributions he can get to pay the bills. No conservative would support this guy who has been gaming the system for years to his own financial advantage.

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard controversy around Judd Matheny. Tennessee deserves better.

THUG IS WHAT MATHENY IS. NOT A VETERAN AND NOT FOR A VETERANS. HE (MATHENY) MIGHT TAKE A DRINK. I Am sure he VOTED with BILL” I PASSED THE BILL TO SELL LIQUOR ON SUNDAY” Haslam. Also Black where is you commercials on deportation of the illegal immigrants here in Tennessee I ain’t worried about the illegals 760 miles from here. Also, a VETERAN IS SOMEONE THAT HAS SPENT AT LEAST 180 days on active duty. Matheny did not. Again THANKS TO MATHENY,HARWELL,RAGAN,STEWART,MCCORMICK,RAMSEY, AND O OF COURSE BIG BILL HASLEM AND JOHN SHORER (HR) FOR YOUR PART ON THE VETERANS PREFERENCE PASSOVR LETTER THERE ARE MANY MORE THAT SIGNED THE SAME BILL. BY THE WAY VETERANS THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IF YALL CAN HEAR ME UNDER THE BUS.

Since 2013 the American Conservative Union has rated Judd Matheny as having voted conservative 88% of the time. In that time period Mr. Corlew has compiled a “?” and the centrist/tepid conservative favorite, Mr. Rose, also has a “?.” Given that the Sixth District will be represented by one of these three men, I believe the country and the Republican Party will be much better off if the voters of the Sixth District send a proven 88% conservative to Congress rather than take a chance on a “?” or a centrist/tepid conservative supported “?.”

How did retired Murfreesboro Judge Bob Corlew who is drawing S.S. and Medicare accumulate $1.3M to put into his congressional campaign?
He has a home and farm outside Murfreesboro worth at least $2 or 3M. He bought a $300,000 house in Mt. Juliet so he could qualify to run for Congress in the 6th District.

WRONG! Not if conservatives in the Sixth District, who make up a majority of voters in that district, are determined to send one of their own to Congress rather than a Corlew or Rose who are political ciphers.

That’s swell and apparently very impressive to the centrists and tepid conservatives who are supporting him. I have no doubt, however, that what impresses them even more is the fact that Judd has an 88% lifetime American Conservative Union score while there is not a scintilla of evidence that John Rose has ever had a conservative thought in his head before he decided that it would be great fun to be a congressman and in order to do so he was advised that he had to go around saying the word “conservative” over and over again.

S. Thornberry says:
April 17, 2018 at 10:58 am
Judd isn’t even a contender and rightfully so. He spent what little money people were willing to give him on a car! The guy is only in the race to milk whatever contributions he can get to pay the bills. No conservative would support this guy who has been gaming the system for years to his own financial advantage.

I don’t know how many times I’ve heard controversy around Judd Matheny. Tennessee deserves better.

Reply
Wrent Berry says:
April 17, 2018 at 11:58 am
Agreed. Judd Matheny is no conservative. There is no greater political thug and purveyor of conspiracy theories in Tennessee politics than Judd Matheny.

Reply
Tommy Ray McAnally says:
April 17, 2018 at 12:37 pm
THUG IS WHAT MATHENY IS. NOT A VETERAN AND NOT FOR A VETERANS. HE (MATHENY) MIGHT TAKE A DRINK. I Am sure he VOTED with BILL” I PASSED THE BILL TO SELL LIQUOR ON SUNDAY” Haslam. Also Black where is you commercials on deportation of the illegal immigrants here in Tennessee I ain’t worried about the illegals 760 miles from here. Also, a VETERAN IS SOMEONE THAT HAS SPENT AT LEAST 180 days on active duty. Matheny did not. Again THANKS TO MATHENY,HARWELL,RAGAN,STEWART,MCCORMICK,RAMSEY, AND O OF COURSE BIG BILL HASLEM AND JOHN SHORER (HR) FOR YOUR PART ON THE VETERANS PREFERENCE PASSOVR LETTER THERE ARE MANY MORE THAT SIGNED THE SAME BILL. BY THE WAY VETERANS THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE IF YALL CAN HEAR ME UNDER THE BUS.

I am sure campaign professionals have a name for the tactic that is used when managing a campaign for some rich guy who has no real interest or background in politics but feels he is at the stage of life when he should have a title. In the U.K. they make such an individual a baron, or a viscount but we’re not a monarchy so the only thing you can do is try to buy yourself a seat in Congress, the state legislature, maybe even Governor. Of course, things get really complicated when there is someone running for the same seat who has years of legislative experience where he was a leader of an ideological group, conservative or liberal, that fits perfectly with the constituency he is trying to represent or lead. What to do, what to do.

Got it! You pick whatever the ideology of the group, let’s say conservative. You then use the candidate’s money to plaster his print media with “CONSERVATIVE” in big letters and you run TV and radio adds using the word “conservative” as many times as you possibly can in 30 or 60 seconds. Play on the dreadfully low information of most voters. Of course they never heard of him because he has been a political nullity, but then again, they hardly have heard of anyone else because sadly low information voters don’t really pay very much attention. Then finally, to avoid talking about politics past or future which your candidate understandably would love to avoid you conjure up dirt on your opponent. You know, like the Never Trumpers are doing to Trump, e.g. collusion with Russians, he is only running for some “financial advantage,” etc.

Indeed, given their financial advantage Messrs. Corlew or Rose have a very good chance of becoming the next Representative of the Sixth District in which case I can only pray that Corlew decides to become a conservative when he acquires a political persona. As for Rose, I won’t waste a prayer because I fully expect him to be welcome with open arms by the feckless Republican leadership and be another fine representative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Round Table and never be heard from again.